The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"It's the Qing people, the Qing cavalry. Oh my God! How could the Qing cavalry get here?" All the Russians began to panic and tried to hide in a hurry.

Soon, the cavalry rumbled into Nerchinsk and occupied the small town.

"From now on, this place will return to its original name. It will no longer be called Nerchinsk, but Nerchinsk!"

Cavalry Brigade Commander Xue Dabin proudly declared his words, which would soon be recorded in history books. He had deliberately made a detour to this place in order to personally recapture this historically significant city.

Over two centuries ago, the Russians seized vast tracts of Chinese territory through the Treaty of Nerchinsk. Now, the Field Army will reclaim these territories through concrete action. As the Field Army liberates Nerchinsk, it will also declare the Treaty of Nerchinsk completely null and void, consigning it to history.

Chapter 646: Second update!

In fact, this was because Zhang Yinghao himself remembered it wrong. Although the Treaty of Nerchinsk may have been signed in this place, the dividing line between China and Russia determined at that time was not in Nerchinsk, but the Argun River.

Without investigation, there is no right to speak. As a result, Zhang Yinghao has always believed in his past and present lives that the Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed with Nerchinsk as the boundary. Otherwise, why is it called the Treaty of Nerchinsk? Going to a foreign territory to sign a treaty that would result in the loss of so much land is not in line with common sense! That is why a series of events happened later. However, Zhang Yinghao was unaware of this fact at the time. If he knew, he would definitely be in a dilemma. What a big mistake!

It's no wonder Zhang Yinghao has such memories. Russia began colonizing Siberia and the Far East in the late 16th century, during the reign of Tsar Ivan IV. By 1636, the Russians had reached the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and conquered all of Siberia, making the entire region a Russian colony. However, as Russian influence approached Qing Dynasty China, military conflict ensued.

Leaving aside the wars and conflicts between the Qing Dynasty and Tsarist Russia, the two countries subsequently signed the Treaty of Nerchinsk. The Treaty of Nerchinsk was the first border treaty signed between the Qing Dynasty and Russia, and also the first unequal treaty. Despite having clearly won the war, the Qing court, with the permission of Emperor Kangxi, ceded a large tract of territory to the Russians. The treaty stipulated that the area from the Kerbichi River, a tributary of the Heilongjiang River, to the Greater Khingan Range and all the way to the sea would belong to China south of the Lingnan Mountains, and to Russia north of the Lingnan Mountains. The Ergun River marked the western border, with the south belonging to China and the north to Russia. All houses on the south bank of the Ergun River, at the mouth of the Heilek River, were to be relocated to the northern bank. Yaksa was to belong to China, but the city was demolished, and the Russians relocated back to Russian territory. Hunters from both countries were prohibited from crossing the border without permission, and those who did so would be arrested and punished. Any collective crossing of the border by more than a dozen people was to be reported to the emperors of both countries and punishable by death.

Before the treaty was signed, the entire territory east and south of Lake Baikal was tacitly considered to belong to China. However, it was because of this treaty that China legally lost the vast territory east of Lake Baikal and north of the Ergun River. It was also because of this that the Russians saw through China's strengths and weaknesses and began to repeatedly invade China and plunder its territory.

If Zhang Yinghao knew the exact contents of the Treaty of Nerchinsk now, he would surely curse, "How could he be so heartless as to sell his father's land?" In fact, later generations also resented Emperor Kangxi, who favored the signing of the treaty. Such an emperor dared to claim to be the Holy Ancestor—utterly shameless. He neither expanded the territory nor invited nations to pay tribute. He also failed to ensure a stable and prosperous life for the people, who only lived on coarse food. What qualifications did he have to be called the Holy Ancestor and the "Greatest Emperor of All Time"? All we can say is that the Qing emperors were shameless and overly self-righteous.

The so-called Battle of Yalu River fought by Emperor Kangxi was merely a clash between a few thousand Qing troops and a few hundred Russians. The Qing army suffered heavy casualties and was ultimately forced to resort to siege to force the Russians to surrender. Is such a victory truly worthy of such accolades? The most important point is, after finally winning this battle, how could they cede territory to others? Clearly, starting with Kangxi's generation, the Qing had been kneeling to foreign powers.

The cavalry didn't stay long in Nerchinsk. After leaving a platoon there, they headed for Chita. Chita was a major city in Russia's Far East and the largest city in northwestern Heilongjiang Province. It was the center of Russian rule in this region. However, more than two hundred years ago, this area was once Chinese territory.

The distance from Manchuria to Chita was nearly 400 kilometers. Cavalry could reach the site in a few days, but infantry would need almost ten days. This was especially true when carrying heavy artillery, which further slowed the march.

In the past, it would have been difficult to capture this place, which is probably the main reason why the Qing Dynasty abandoned it. Fortunately, Chita now has a railway, which greatly alleviates the pressure of marching and logistics, making it possible for the field army to easily capture this place. As for Nerchinsk, after the field army completely wins the battle, it will welcome Chinese immigrants, and China will reoccupy this place and take root.

On December 14, 1825, a group of young aristocratic officers from the "Northern Society" and the "Southern Society" launched an uprising against the Tsar, aiming to abolish serfdom and the Tsarist autocracy and establish a constitutional monarchy. After the uprising failed, the Tsar exiled the remaining 12 or so men to Siberia. They journeyed from St. Petersburg for four years before arriving at a remote town on the eastern Siberian border, where they set up camp. Perhaps this was one of the reasons these Russians were able to brave the hardships and gradually conquer the Far East! Their endurance was truly unmatched!

As time went by, the small border town developed into the current central city, Chita, the headquarters of the Far Eastern Front. At this time, Chita had become an important transportation hub city in the Trans-Baikal region with a permanent population of tens of thousands.

Chita, one of Russia's most important cities in the Far East, is home to tens of thousands of Russians. However, after learning that the border had been breached and the field army was approaching Chita in large numbers, the city was thrown into chaos.

Naturally, Russian civilians immediately packed up their belongings and planned to flee Chita, moving westward with their families, hoping to escape before the field army arrived.

Although the railway line between Chita and Ulan-Ude was already completed, the trains were so rare that only a very small number of people could take them. The rest of the people had to travel west by horse, carriage, or even on foot.

The 7th Cavalry Brigade of the Fifth Field Army suddenly appeared west of Chita. The cavalry was not there to prevent the Russians from escaping. Anyone who had studied military tactics knew that encircling the enemy on three sides and leaving one of them vulnerable was not the right path to a desperate battle. Their purpose was simply to temporarily cut off the railway. By this time, the thousands of Russian troops stationed in Chita had entered a state of emergency.

However, the revolution in Tsarist Russia once again helped the field army a lot. It can even be said that the Russian revolutionary party made great contributions to the field army's ability to capture the Chinese Eastern Road and Shuangchengzi and other places so quickly.

During a general strike that began in October 1905, railway workers seized control of nearly the entire Trans-Siberian Railway from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, trapping a large portion of the Russian Army in northeastern Russia, unable to return home. In Chita, a key railway town, the garrison also joined the strike, and the police were disbanded and replaced with armed workers.

By November 22, 1905, railway workers, soldiers, and Cossacks had established a Soviet in Chita, establishing the Chita Republic. They implemented an eight-hour workday, universal suffrage, and urban self-government, and gradually seized nearby stockpiles of military supplies and weapons, eventually gaining control of the entire Trans-Baikal region.

The Chita Republic was well-armed, so some demobilized troops returning to Europe from Northeast China through Chita were reluctant to engage in conflict with the republic. By December 11, a Trans-Baikal Railway Congress was held in Chita, calling on workers to seize control of the railway and weapons. Small teams were dispatched to transport the large quantities of weapons from Chita to various locations along the railway line to arm local workers.

In January 1906, General Alexander Meler-Zakomelisky led a "punitive force" along the railway line from west to east, while General Rennenkampf set out from Harbin and marched east to west, "quelling" unrest along the railway as they went, attacking the Chita Republic from both sides. Surrounded by Russian forces and isolated, the Social Democratic Party and the workers' armed forces of Chita abandoned direct resistance and went underground to engage in guerrilla warfare. On February 4, 1906, Rennenkampf's punitive force arrived first in Chita. Unopposed, they launched a massive search and massacre throughout the city. After the field army recaptured the Chinese Eastern Railway, the Russians, driven by the need to maintain stability in their rear, coupled with the harsh suppression orders issued by Nicholas II, killed more than twice as many revolutionaries as in history.

The revolutionaries in Chita could only manage to hide some weapons and continue their underground activities. Since 1906, there have been eight workers' strikes in Trans-Baikal, riots in forty villages, and four mutinies in the army. Faced with internal and external troubles, Rennenkampf was ruthless and resolutely suppressed the revolutionaries...

Therefore, although the Chita army is capable of fighting, it is already exhausted and its morale is low...

Chapter 647: First update!

Facing the revolutionaries of Tsarist Russia, the Forward Party was rather conflicted, especially Zhang Yinghao. On the one hand, there was class friendship and the influence of his past life, and on the other hand, there was his own patriotic feelings, so he felt quite conflicted.

At this point, Zhang Yinghao didn't think most members of China's Forward Party could rival the Russian revolutionaries. This was evident from two key points. The first was their level of knowledge and culture, a factor dictated by national conditions. Under the barbaric, closed-door rule of the Qing Dynasty for over two hundred years, China's illiteracy rate was alarmingly high, and its culture severely emasculated. In contrast, the Russian revolutionaries were mostly well-educated. When it came to savagery, perhaps the uneducated wouldn't be much worse. However, when it came to development and reasoning, the educated were likely miles ahead of the illiterate.

The aftereffects of this are very serious. For example, during the Cultural Revolution, those with no political ideas but only professional knowledge were labeled the "stinking ninth" and were to be overthrown. Some people themselves were uneducated and unskilled, yet looked down on scientists and other high-level talents, regardless of the scientific principles involved. They simply believed that an organization would listen to this person and that everyone else was afraid of intellectuals. This led to a one-man show, and they opposed arbitrary decisions, thus persecuting people and engaging in struggle sessions...

These people have fallen into the misunderstanding that they can do it themselves. At that time, the country lacked these high-level talents. An important unit may have only one person who understands science and technology. If others do not listen to his command, who else will they listen to? Outsiders may find this situation incredible, but there is nothing they can do about it. Without this person's command, others will not be able to do it! Outsiders guiding insiders may succeed occasionally, but sooner or later it will go wrong.

If this person is a good person, and if they know they are wrong and correct it immediately, then there won't be much of a problem. But what if they are vying for power? What if they are trying to overthrow others just to get to the top? That's the end of it!

To get back to the point, the second major difference between the Chinese and Russian revolutionaries was their vast knowledge gap. China was an agricultural country for thousands of years and remains so today, with a small peasant economy still dominating. However, Tsarist Russia was one of the great powers, an industrial powerhouse of its time, and bordered by industrially advanced Europe. Consequently, many of the revolutionaries were workers, and a significant number had studied and worked in countries like Germany and France. Their knowledge far surpassed that of the comrades of the Forward Party.

A Marxist party is a party of the working class, and achieving communism requires a highly developed industry. On these two points, China's Forward Party completely fails. Of course, people are capable of independent learning and self-transformation. Thought is the most beautiful flower. While workers are indeed easily reformed, peasants of this era are indeed more ignorant and stubborn. Even if the Forward Party has inherent shortcomings, Zhang Yinghao doesn't think it's much worse than the Tsarist Revolutionary Party. Besides having himself as a time traveler, the Forward Party already has its own army under its full leadership and a relatively well-established organization. The Forward Party also emphasizes centralism, where everyone speaks with one voice. The collective strength and wisdom can, in most cases, more than make up for the difference in individual qualities. As for other aspects, Zhang Yinghao doesn't believe the current Forward Party will be at a disadvantage against the Tsarist Revolutionary Party. After all, when it comes to conspiracy and intrigue, the Chinese have been masters of it for thousands of years, leaving other countries far behind.

However, the Tsarist revolutionaries did pose a challenge to the PLA's operations. Just as the special forces' sabotage of the railway had been attributed to Tsarist officers, the Tsarist revolutionaries had repeatedly cut off their own railways. Consequently, even if the field army occupied the railway, they wouldn't dare to recklessly ride the train to Chita. Since the field army could sabotage the railway, causing train derailments and fatalities, the Russians would naturally do the same, especially the elusive guerrillas. Therefore, the field army had to repair the damaged railways and clear out the Russian troops and civilians along the way. They also had to prevent the Russians from sabotaging the railway, which reversed the offensive and defensive situation.

After cutting off the railway, the cavalry troops did not attack Chita. Although Chita was not big, it was unreliable for the cavalry to attack it. More importantly, Zhang Yinghao reminded them many times that the field army should try to avoid street fighting. When fighting, they did not need to care about those jars and cans, and they must put the safety of the soldiers' lives first.

Even though the field army had wall-penetrating tactics, Zhang Yinghao never approved of them engaging in street fighting with the enemy. While a kind army is not a good commander, Zhang Yinghao did have a fear of street fighting. The German army was so powerful, yet it still suffered a crushing defeat at Stalingrad. In Zhang Yinghao's view, street fighting in this era was purely a war of attrition, relying on manpower. The field army lacked sufficient heavy equipment and could not bomb the ground. Relying solely on light weapons to fight for a single street or building, countless soldiers would ultimately be sacrificed. This was what Zhang Yinghao hated most. Moreover, even if they could develop bombs to bomb the ground, what would that do? Wouldn't the ever-powerful US military still be helpless against China's tunnel fortifications?

As for not worrying about those jars and cans, it was naturally a message to the comrades: if necessary, blow them up without mercy. This was what Zhang Yinghao witnessed in his previous life, when the People's Liberation Army liberated Shanghai. Concerned about foreign interference, they chose not to use artillery to attack the city, but instead engaged in street fighting with the Kuomintang army, resulting in heavy casualties among the PLA soldiers. In front of a building, the PLA soldiers attacked several times, suffering heavy casualties and desperately wanted to use artillery to capture the enemy stronghold, but an officer nearby intervened, stating that the building was the people's property and that it must be protected. Once the enemy was driven away, the property would be immediately returned to the people, and the residents would no longer have to sleep on the streets...

It's true. That building was indeed the people's property at the time, and it was indeed valuable. But weren't the lives of those soldiers worth anything less? In Zhang Yinghao's view, the lives of the soldiers were worth a thousand times more than that building. Even if the building was blown up, the most they could do after liberation was rebuild it for free or provide compensation. How could the lives of several or even dozens of soldiers be worth less than a building? Of course, Zhang Yinghao was not from that era, nor did he participate in it, so he naturally has no comment on the matter. However, Zhang Yinghao had no regard for the troops he had formed. If necessary, if the lives of the soldiers were threatened, he would blow them up...

The cavalry retreated after merely destroying the railway, not attacking Chita. This instantly extinguished the united resistance within Chita. The Russian troops, who had originally vowed to fight to the death, looked at each other in dismay, feeling as if they had punched cotton with all their might. While it was certainly a good thing that the field army didn't attack, at least they didn't have to engage in an immediate battle. However, every Russian soldier knew this was merely the calm before the storm; once the enemy had gathered sufficient strength, they would face an even more intense attack.

However, Chita already had irreconcilable contradictions within it, much like the KMT-CCP ​​collaboration of the past. Without a shared hatred for the enemy mentality, internal contradictions naturally began to emerge. Ignoring the enemy, friction and struggle were inevitable...

Two days later, Pang Debiao, the leader of the vanguard regiment, led his soldiers to Chita. Without any rest, they immediately began digging trenches. From then on, the battle to attack Chita officially began.

At this time, the cavalry also took action to protect the vanguard regiment, preventing them from being attacked by the Russian army while they were still unstable and causing unnecessary losses. At this moment, Pang Debiao left the barracks and walked into the cavalry's temporary headquarters. He said to Xue Dabin, who was studying a map, "Old Xue, I have good news for you. Someone from the revolutionaries in Chita has contacted me."

Chapter 648: Second update!

The attack on Tsarist Russia in 1906 and the relationship with the Tsarist Russian revolutionaries are bound to be an unavoidable topic. Being under the same sky, the Tsarist Russian revolutionaries were so powerful in the revolution last year, and they naturally had some contact with the Forward Party.

When the Field Army was still underground, the situation was relatively smooth, with minimal contact between the two sides. After all, the soldiers of the Field Army had always had little affection for the Russians, having killed more than one of them. However, after the Field Army suddenly launched an offensive against Japan, Russian revolutionaries naturally began contacting the Field Army, seeking help and cooperation. Zhang Yinghao also received reports and requests from Liu Wenxiu and others. After careful consideration, Zhang Yinghao's response to the Northeast was: Seek truth from facts, prioritize self-reliance, achieve win-win cooperation, and prioritize national and ethnic interests!

This sentence is a bit contradictory, but it is not difficult to understand. After writing this sentence, Zhang Yinghao thought again and again, and added another sentence: Brothers, settle accounts clearly, settle accounts clearly!

Zhang Yinghao replied with a short telegram, but then worried that his comrades would misunderstand his message and turn to narrow nationalism. So after some thought, he sent another long telegram to the Northeast, in which he again pointed out:

Communism and nationalism are products of two completely different ideologies. Communism understands the world from a class perspective, using the Marxist theoretical weapons of class struggle and proletarian revolution to transform the old world, establish a publicly owned economy, and ultimately eliminate private ownership, exploitation, oppression, and the imperialist world system. Nationalism, on the other hand, understands the world from a national perspective, using national independence and liberation to resist the colonial and imperialist systems of exploitation and oppression.

Zhang Yinghao further emphasized that the nation is an imagined community, serving to unite people and boost morale, and is an indispensable component of China's liberation. However, all comrades should understand that only under the guidance of communism, combined with China's actual conditions, can the great Chinese revolution achieve ultimate victory. Once it loses the guidance of communism, that is, Marxism and the scientific leadership of the Party, nationalism will immediately fall into trouble...

Finally, Zhang Yinghao pointed out that the current contradiction in China is primarily between the Chinese people and imperialism, a struggle between colonialism and anti-colonialism, and the struggle for national independence and liberation. Saving the nation and striving for survival is the Forward Party's primary task. Therefore, we must remove the shackles imposed on the Chinese people by the imperialist powers, abolish all unequal treaties... reclaim privileges, and recover ceded territories...

Zhang Yinghao's telegram clearly illustrates how to treat foreign revolutionaries. Before resolving China's principal contradictions, before completing the Forward Party's primary mission, and before abolishing the unequal treaties, whatever foreign revolutionaries say is nonsense. This is especially true of the Russian revolutionaries. Without abolishing the unequal treaties signed between the Qing Dynasty and Tsarist Russia, the relationship between the two countries will inevitably be superficially harmonious. This is especially true of the land issue, which concerns the fundamental national interests of both great powers. The contradiction is irreconcilable, and sooner or later, the two sides will inevitably fall into opposition. This is the inevitable result of the development of a conflict of interests...

After Zhang Yinghao determined the tone for his approach to the Tsarist Russian revolutionaries, he began to quietly monitor the development of the situation and the attitudes of his comrades towards foreign revolutionaries. Based on the exchanges and feedback from Northeast China, Zhang Yinghao quickly concluded the attitude of the Tsarist Russian revolutionaries towards the Chinese revolution:

They believe that the Forward Party is not a communist party, but a peasant party. They believe that China's current revolution is a peasant revolution, not even a bourgeois revolution, but a nationalist revolution in a backward country. Even if a backward country like China completes the peasant revolution, it will still take a considerable historical period to enter capitalism and develop advanced industry before it can once again advance social revolution and proletarian revolution...

During their interactions, Tsarist Russian revolutionaries frequently pointed fingers at the China Forward Party, some even attempting to direct the Chinese revolution. However, many adopted an arrogant attitude, looking down on the China Forward Party. A few even attempted to seize power and control of the field army.

The revolutionary parties of Tsarist Russia were indeed predecessors to the Forward Party, so Zhang Yinghao could easily imagine these things. However, this also caused many members of the Forward Party to feel disgusted with the Tsarist Russian revolutionaries.

Even though the Tsarist revolutionaries were revolutionaries, they were Russians, members of the great powers. Their attitude toward China wouldn't change 180 degrees simply by adding the word "revolution." Even if some Russian revolutionaries didn't appear to be so, their true colors would still be revealed. Of course, some revolutionaries truly desired world revolution and the liberation of people everywhere, but most hoped to achieve revolutionary success under the leadership of these revolutionaries. Great power chauvinism never emerges suddenly. The Chinese have a central power complex, and naturally, the Russians also have a dream of becoming a great power...

Therefore, for various reasons, the current China Forward Party has a completely different attitude toward the Tsarist Russian revolutionaries than its predecessor. Comrades actually have a more pragmatic approach to these revolutionaries than the time traveler Zhang Yinghao, who was deeply influenced by his past life. It is precisely this different attitude that will lead to the following series of stories.

At this moment, Xue Dabin heard Pang Debiao's words and raised his eyes and said, "Old Pang, your loud voice will get you into trouble sooner or later. Don't you know that walls have ears?"

"Isn't it safe in your headquarters?"

Xue Dabin didn't specifically respond to this question, but instead asked, "Just be careful. Read the confidentiality agreement. Tell me, why did you come to me right after arriving? What happened?"

"Haha, this is excellent news! The revolutionaries in Chita have sent someone to find me. Perhaps we can take Chita without a fight."

"Hmm? What's going on? It would be great if we didn't have to attack Chita and just engage in street fighting. What's going on?"

Pang Debiao took out a letter and said, "This is a letter sent from Chita. It's from a revolutionary organization in Chita. They say they are willing to cooperate with our army. As soon as our army starts the attack, they will launch an uprising in the city and seize Chita in one fell swoop."

Xue Dabin took the letter and began to read it, saying, "This is great news! Why couldn't our cavalry attack before? Wasn't it because we were worried about street fighting? With this internal support, our army will naturally be able to greatly reduce our casualties. If this is true, Chita will fall in a snap!"

Xue Dabin read the letter several times over and fell into deep thought. Just as Pang Debiao was about to speak again, Xue Dabin sneered and said, "Haha, these Russian revolutionaries are really ambitious and have bad intentions. They established the Chita Republic here before, and now you see their letter. They actually thank us for sending troops and hope to help them restore their country. Although the attitude is humble and there are many sincere words and words of gratitude, the most crucial thing is not mentioned at all."

“What’s the most crucial thing?”

"Lao Pang, you should learn more about history and politics. Otherwise, with your bravery and shrewdness in marching and fighting, you would have been out of the position of regimental commander long ago. You should know that we sent troops to abolish the unequal treaties signed between the Qing Dynasty and Tsarist Russia, but this letter did not mention it at all. Don't they know the purpose of our troops? Impossible, they are just pretending to be deaf and dumb. Perhaps these Tsarist Russian revolutionaries also want to inherit these unequal treaties? Outer Northeast, Greater Khingan Range, such a large area of ​​land. Although the environment is harsh, the mines are abundant.

There are abundant agricultural and forest resources. There are also many farmlands along the Heilongjiang River. There is black soil that can produce oil when you squeeze it! The wealth here is really

I can’t even count them!"

After hearing this, Pang Debiao suddenly realized: "Damn, these bastards are trying to trick us. They want us to work for nothing? Why not just get rid of them together?"

Xue Dabin said, "Don't worry. Even the strongest fortress is easiest to breach from the inside. With these insiders cooperating with Chita, it's naturally the best. They're free cannon fodder, so why not use them?"

Pang Debiao continued, "You mean we can take Chita with the help of both inside and outside forces, but we won't evacuate?"

Xue Dabin laughed and said, "What if we want to take back these lost lands? What will the attitude of these rebellious Russians be?"

"you mean?"

"It's meaningless. Let's wait until the main force arrives! Then discuss the details of the uprising with the messenger..."

Xue Dabin already had his own ideas at this point, but as he said, walls have ears, and the more people know, the greater the risk of the secret being leaked. Moreover, some things can be said but not done, while others can be done but not said, especially conspiracies and tricks, which must be hidden deep in the heart. If others knew that I would use conspiracies and tricks, it would easily give people a bad impression, making them wary or even afraid of me. After all, no one likes someone who is good at using conspiracies and tricks, who associates conspiracies and tricks with unscrupulous means?

While Pang Debiao was meeting Xue Dabin, a meeting was also going on in Chita. The scene was quite intense and lively. Then an old Russian said: "Now that the Chinese are invading our country, we should unite with the garrison troops, put aside our prejudices, and deal with the Chinese together..."

Before the old Russian could finish, another old Russian said, "No, these White Army soldiers have killed so many of our comrades. I wish I could kill them all. They are not trustworthy at all. We should take advantage of the Chinese attack to launch an uprising, seize control of the army, and then negotiate with the Chinese to get them to leave our territory."

“What if the Chinese don’t leave?”

"Then I will fight to the death to defend our national territory until all the Chinese are driven out of our country."

"No, I don't agree. The Chinese are extremely cunning, despicable, and untrustworthy. They are not worthy of trust at all. If we help the Chinese enter Chita, after the White Army is defeated, we will be next. Will we have enough strength to resist the Chinese by then?"

"As long as we can overthrow the Tsar's rule, I am willing to do anything, even make a deal with the devil. As long as the Chinese are willing to help us overthrow Tsarist Russia, what's wrong with temporarily handing Chita over to the Chinese? It's just temporary custody for the Chinese. After our revolution is victorious, we will take it back. Don't comrades have confidence in our revolution?"

"Communism is a world revolution. The world belongs to the proletariat. There are no national divisions. We should be selfless. Even if the world revolution succeeds, Chita will still be in the hands of the proletariat. What difference does it make? We will definitely liberate the whole world. To argue about this now is to commit narrow nationalism. He is not a communist..."

If Zhang Yinghao were here, he would surely be delighted. Many of the revolutionaries in Tsarist Russia supported the theory of permanent world revolution. For Zhang Yinghao, the theory of world revolution has been proven wrong by historical tests. However, its supporters are imagining things that are divorced from reality. This grand and empty theory is the easiest to stigmatize.

Therefore, the debate among these Russians quickly shifted from how to treat China to the question of the revolutionary path. Without factual support, grandiose and empty claims are more easily accepted. Perhaps this is what the saying "honest advice hurts" means. Therefore, the Russians' discussion ultimately led to an uprising in the city, cooperating with the Chinese army to capture Chita...

Chapter 649: First update!

The field army's troops arrived in Chita one after another. By this time, the various units had already cleared the area around Chita several times. At this time, Chita, except for the gap in the west deliberately left by the field army, could be said to have become an isolated island. The Russian troops in Chita were now completely trapped. Even if the Russian army wanted to retreat from the west, they had to consider whether the field army would ambush them halfway and whether they would be willing to let them escape.

At this time, General Rennenkamp reorganized the troops and assigned trusted officers and soldiers to supervise the battle. If Nicholas II had not sent a telegram urging him to rely on the city defenses and promised that reinforcements would arrive soon, which strengthened his determination to hold out, he might have abandoned Chita and surrendered long ago.

Lunningkamp was very surprised at this moment. The Chinese had already arrived in Chita for quite some time. If they had insufficient troops before, then why they hadn't attacked now was a mystery. He really didn't know what the Chinese were up to, but this period of time also gave him the opportunity to calmly arrange his fortifications, which became increasingly complete.

The reason the field army didn't attack wasn't because they pinned their hopes on the promises of the Tsarist revolutionaries, nor was it out of righteousness to wait until Chita was ready. Instead, they were waiting for their secret weapon—the airship force. Now that the secret weapon had finally arrived, the offensive naturally began. People of that era had never considered the possibility of aerial attack, so their fortifications were built without any consideration for this aspect. Therefore, sending in airship bombing would be a condescending, dimensional attack.

At this time, facing the siege of the Chinese army, Chita was filled with a strong sense of tragedy, but also a sense of extraordinary restlessness. A considerable number of revolutionaries were preparing for an uprising. After all, a good death is worse than a miserable life. Faced with life and death, many people once again joined the uprising.

Meanwhile, inside a stronghold in the city, an old Russian soldier was making his final mobilization speech: "Comrades, the Chinese have promised that if we launch an uprising and disrupt the White Army's deployment, they will immediately launch a general offensive. We must work together from within and without to liberate Chita and establish the Chita Republic... Comrades, to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the tyrant and build a new communist world, we must not fear sacrifice and fight bravely until the revolution is completely victorious..."

As agreed, the Russians launched the uprising at 3:00 a.m. the following morning, under cover of darkness. The revolutionaries, already suffocated by the brutal oppression and slaughter under Rennenkampf, now responded to the signal and unleashed their fury on the White Army. They unleashed their fire on the unsuspecting Russians. For a moment, the entire city of Chita was in chaos. Darkness reigned, and trust vanished as the soldiers began to shoot at each other.

This was something the Russian army hadn't anticipated. No one could have imagined that, at this critical moment, these revolutionaries, instead of standing together, would shamelessly choose to stab them in the back. This instantly filled the already tense hearts of the Russian army with rage. Upon hearing the news, Rennenkamp was horrified and then furious. He knew the fortress had been breached from within, so he immediately mobilized his troops and issued a brutal suppression order, demanding no prisoners. For a time, Chita was awash in blood and gore, with heavy casualties.

The field army, naturally, had also heard the noise and immediately ordered their artillery to fire three rounds into Chita. They then placed a few firecrackers in an iron barrel, and nothing else happened. The Russian troops, waiting in their fortifications for the field army's attack, were stunned, wondering what the Chinese were planning. Rennenkamp didn't dwell on it. The Chinese army's lack of attack was a good thing. He simply wanted to quell the rebellion. He immediately ordered his men to deploy their heavy artillery and open fire on the rebels.

Pang Debiao saw the riot in Chita and immediately ordered the firing of flares into the air. Just when he was about to launch an attack on the city as agreed, he was suddenly ordered to suspend the attack. The reason given was that the commotion in Chita might have been deliberately created by the Russian army as a decoy to lure the field army into attacking, thereby killing a large number of field army soldiers.

Pang Debiao was furious when he heard such an order. He immediately shouted at the command center: "The heavy machine guns in Chita are firing. It's impossible to be so extravagant as to lure the enemy in."

He immediately asked for battle again, but the order he received was still to stand by and wait for orders.

Xue Dabin was an old subordinate of Sun Tongpao. He had followed Sun Tongpao since he was a bandit. The two of them could be said to be comrades in life and death. At this moment, Xue Dabin stood beside Sun Tongpao, looking at the fire in the Chita and listening to the noise inside. He thought of the conversation he had with Sun Tongpao after confirming the time for the Russian Revolutionary Party uprising.

"Chief of General Staff, I suspect the Russians are trying to lure the enemy. It would be best to observe the situation carefully first and then coordinate an attack after confirming the situation."

In fact, without Xue Dabin's words, Sun Tongpao naturally had some concerns in his heart, and then nodded naturally and said: "That's right, be careful and cautious, beware of explosions!"

Xue Dabin said without thinking: "We want to take back our homeland now, but we don't know what the attitude of these Russian revolutionaries is. Although they can temporarily work together with us to deal with Tsarist Russia, they are Russians and naturally represent Russia's interests. In the future, they may be an enemy that is more difficult to deal with than the current Tsarist Russia, or even a serious threat!"

Sun Tongpao also knew a lot about Russian revolutionaries, so he nodded and said, "What do you mean?"

"What if none of the Russian troops in Chita revolted, and instead the rebellion turned into a fratricide? What if all the Russian troops in Chita refused to surrender until their death? Oh, if some Russian revolutionary were to fight guerrilla warfare against us in this icy land, it would be a real headache!"

Sun Tongpao fell into deep thought after hearing this. After a long while, he said, "You're right to worry. A man of small mind is not a gentleman, and a man without ruthlessness is not a hero. For the sake of long-term peace and stability in the future, the fewer Russians there are in these newly liberated areas, the better. Dabin, lead your cavalry to patrol the periphery. If you encounter the enemy, kill them without mercy!"

"Old leader, if you are not careful, you will be disciplined and even face a military court..."

"Our primary concern is the interests of the nation and the state. Personal gains and losses are minor matters. There's a saying: 'If it's for the benefit of the nation, we will not shy away from it, even if it's life or death.' This matter ends here. It's all rotten in my stomach! I'll take care of it."

Xue Dabin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was movement in Chita City within the agreed time. If there was no movement in the city, the field army would also start the attack after dawn. Regardless of whether the uprising in the city was true or false, it would basically not change the field army's military plan.

Why was the uprising scheduled to begin at three in the morning? It was so that the Russian troops in the city would have enough time to suppress the uprising, and preferably kill all the revolutionaries. However, the timing had to be managed well, and the troops involved in the suppression could not be allowed to return to defend, otherwise the uprising would not be of much help in liberating Chita.

At this point, all the soldiers had received orders: The enemy inside Chita was stubborn and cunning, refusing to surrender. To prevent a suicidal tactic, all enemies inside were to be killed without mercy. Shoot immediately upon encountering the enemy, be wary of bombing any surrendering enemy. Surrender was unacceptable until safety was assured, and killing the enemy was encouraged!

The prisoner of war policy needed to be enforced, but this order practically told the soldiers not to take prisoners. After the fighting broke out in Chita, the soldiers focused their attention on the city center. Soon, they noticed someone running out of the city. Without any other thoughts, the frontline commanders instructed their sharpshooters to aim at the enemy and pull the trigger.